Middle Grade Summer Workshop with Estelle Laure

A two and half-month workshop for writers seeking story-level feedback on their middle grade projects to take their work to the next level.

In this workshop, you will work with senior development editor, Estelle Laure, from Folio Literary and a small group of writers (up to 3 others) on the first 12,500 words of your novels in process, (8350 words for novels in verse) over two rounds. The workshop includes written feedback from Estelle and your peers, live calls to debrief each round, and a group discussion board where Estelle will answer questions.

The workshop begins with an introductory group call to meet the other members and discuss workshop expectations. Then you will submit the first 7,500 words (5000 if verse) of your project for feedback, plus a short synopsis (this is for your readers and will not be critiqued). You have three weeks to read and post your written critiques of participants work. Round 1 critiques are followed by a group debrief call where you can dig into questions about the notes and/or brainstorm with Estelle about revisions. You will then submit your next 5000 words (or 3350 for verse) for peer and professional feedback. The group concludes with a one-on-one call. 

Participants may opt to share a third submission for critique from Estelle and optional peer critique. This is an additional charge and you will be able to make this choice at the end of the workshop. Additional submissions may be either the next section of your project or a revision of material you submitted earlier in the workshop. 

What to expect from your written critiques: Estelle will provide a detailed critique on your pages addressing character development, plot development, pacing, and sentence-level writing tips to take your story to the next level. 

*This workshop has a zero tolerance policy against racist, sexist, harassing, or otherwise offensive behavior. Writers who engage in this behavior against the instructor or fellow writers, or present material that promotes this behavior, will be removed from the workshop without a refund.